Valve for air-compressors.



PATENTED DEG. 19, 1905.

xm lh "HHHUIH'IUH i 1 e M E. H. STEEDMAN. VALVE FOR AIR COMPRESSORS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 2, 1903.

IIIA mlllll l NITED STATES PATEN rien..

VALVE FOR AIR-COMPRESSORS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

'Patented Dec. 19, 1905.

Application filed November 2, 1903. Serial No. 179,596.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWIN H. STEEDMAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in Valves for Air-Compressors, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanyl ing drawings,forming part of this specificaconnecting the pipes.

tion, in Which- Figure 1 is a plan View of the cylinder-head in which myimproved valves are arranged, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view throughsaid head. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the part which acts as avalve-guide.

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in valves forair-compressors, the object being to utilize a thin sheet-metal valve offlat disk form which is quick-acting and cheap, said valve being alsolight and sensitive, so that in operation it contributes materially tothe high eiliciency of the compressor.

The objects of the present invention are to utilize this type of valveboth on the suction and discharge sides of the pump, the associate partsbeing so constructed that the valve is ported for the passage of airaround the inner and outer edges thereof.

With these objects in view the invention consists in the construction,arrangement, and combination of the several parts, all as will behereinafter described and afterward pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, 1 indicates the cylinder, 2 the piston, and 3 theremovable cylinder-head, which head is formed hollow, the suctionchamber4 communicating with an opening in the cylinder and thedischarge-chamber 5 also communicating with an opening in the cylinder,pipe connections being made with the cylinder in preference to the head,thus enabling the head to be removed without dis- A valve-casing isprovided, which is illustrated as comprising two sections.

6 indicates the seat for the suction-valve, constituting one section ofthe valve-casing, which seat is preferably of skeleton form, with itsunder surface finished to receive the iiat disk valve 6.

this seat is recessed and threaded to take in a threaded stem 7 on theremaining part 7 of the valve-casing, which part 7 is of slightly Thecentral or hub portion of larger diameter than the part or section 6 andthreaded into the inner wall of thecylinderhead. This separate part 7 ofthe valve-casing is of spider or skeleton form and includes in itsconstruction a concentric ring 8, whose upper surface is provided withan annular groove 9 for receiving the conical helical spring 10, whichholds the valve 6 to its seat. The radial arms extending from the hub orpost 7 are recessed at 11 on their upper faces to accommodate themovement of the valve 6 and also guide said valve in its movement. Theconstruction above described is such that when said valve is opened byincoming air the spring 10 is compressed in its receivinggroove 9, andthe valve 6 is supported on the ring 8, leaving openings for the air topass around the inner and outer edges of said ring 8.

The central hub portion of the valve-seat 6, before referred to, whichis indicated as 12 in the drawings, forms a guide for the prongs 13 of adisplacing-thimble 14, which is preferably formed hollow and extendsthrough the outer wall of the cylinder-head, by which it is also guidedin its movement.

15 indicates a governing-cylinder secured in position on thecylinder-head, a fiber washer 16 being preferably interposed between thecylinder 15 and the cylinder-head, said ber washer being a non-heatconductor, preventing the heat from the cylinder-head reaching thecylinder 15.

A piston 17 is arranged in the cylinder 15, and a pipe is fitted in theconnection 18, so as to conduct air from the reservoir or discharge sideof the compressor to a point above the piston, a suitableregulating-valve controlling the admission of such air, (not shown inthe drawings,) whereby when the air in the discharge side of thecompressor reaches or exceeds a predetermined maximum it will force thepiston 17 down, and with it the tliirnble 14, whose arms 13 displace thesuction-valve,

venabling the compressor to draw in and force out the air through thesuction-openings. The lower end of piston 17 is provided with aguiding-head 19, having openings 20 in its periphery and a cross-groove21 to take care of leakage, which leakage escapes through an opening 21in the upper end of the thimble 14.

It will be noticed with respect to the suction-valve that the one partof the casing is supported by a central stem and also at its edges, sothat said part acts as a cage to prevent any parts that might be brokenfrom1 IOO IOS

' falling into the cylinder.

The manner in which the cage itself is supported at its center and edgesprevents the cage from falling into the cylinder, even though the samemay be broken in service.

The discharge-valve consists of a seat 22, in the center of which riseguiding-lugs 23, the upper face of said seat receiving and supportingthe disk valve 24 at its center and marginal edges. A recess 25 isprovided in the cylinder-head for the reception of a spring 26, whosefunction is to hold the valve 24 to its seat. Around this recess arearranged posts 27 for supporting a ring 28, secured in position bysuitable screws entering the post, said ring acting as a limiting-stopand support for the valve 24 when said valve is raised oi itsseat. Thissupport prevents the marginal edges oi' the valve from sagging, as itwill be noticed that the spring 26 bears near the inner edge of thevalve. This dischargevalve when raised oil? its seat and supported bythe ring 28 permits the air to pass around the outer edge into thedischarge-chamber 5 and also around the inner edge and around theguiding-lugs 23 and through the spaces between spring 26 and posts 27into the chamber 5.

By reference to Fig. 2 it will be observed that the valve 6 is guidedbetween the edges of the radial webs or arms 30 and the upstanding lugs3l at its inner and outer edges, respectively. With the energy of thespring exerting itself thereagainst any liability of the valve becomingunseated will be avoided. It is of course desirable that the energy ofthe spring be exerted. on the parts uniformly over the under surface ofthe valve, so that it will uniformly bear against its seat when actingas a cut-oli, and thereby close the port, which would otherwise be open.It will also be observed that one part of the valve-casing supports theother-that is to say, the part 7 is threaded into the recess in thecylinderhead supporting the complementary part, the complementary partcomprising the seat for the valve. This complementary part in turn issecured to the threaded part through the medium of the stem or threadedlug 7 so as to centrally support the complementary part.

I am aware that minor changes in the construction, arrangement, andcombination of the several parts of my device can be made andsubstituted for those herein shown andV described without in the leastdeparting from the nature and principle of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a suction-valve mechanism for air-compressors, the combinationwith a fiat annular valve formed from thin sheet material, of avalve-casing consisting of two parts, one having a' seat for the valve,and being of skeleton form, and the other having a plurality of guidesfor supporting the valve at its inner and outer marginal edges in itsopen position, and a valve holding spring interposed between the valveand-the supporting part; substantially as described.

2. In a suction-valve mechanism for air-compressors, the combinationwith a fiat annular valve formed from thin sheet material, of avalve-casing consisting of two parts, one having a seat for the valveand being of skeleton form, and the other forming a support and guidingmeans for the inner and outer edges of the valve in its open position,and means for holding said two parts of the valve-casing together, thepart which is of skeleton form being supported at its outer edge by theother part when said parts are in operative position; substantially asdescribed.

3. In a suction-valve mechanism for air-compressors, the combination ofa valve, a valvecasing consisting of two parts, one having a seat forthe valve and being of skeleton form, and the other forming a cage forsupporting the valve in its open position at its inner and outer edges,said cage part ofthe valve-casing having a threaded periphery forengagement with the cylinder-head, means for guiding the valve, and avalve-holding spring interposed between the valve and the cage;substantially as described.

4. In asuction-valve mechanism for air-compressors, the combination witha valve, of a valve-casing consisting of two parts, one having a seatfor the valve and being of skeleton form, and the other serving as asupport for the valve in its open position, said last-mentioned partbeing of slightly greater diameter than the seat portion for engagementwith the cylinder-head` and a cylinder-head formed with a flangedopening against which the seat portionof the valve-casing is clamped;substantially as described.

5. In a suction-valve mechanism for air-compressors, the combinationwith a cylinder-head having a threaded opening provided with'an inturnedflange at one end, avalve-casing consisting of two parts, one havingaseat for the valve and being of skeleton form,l said seat portionresting aga-inst the flange in the opening, and the other portion of thevalve-casing being connected to said seat portion at its center andbeing of slightly larger diameter than said seat portion and threadedinto said opening so as to form a support for the valve in its openposition and also act as a cage; substantially as described.

6. Inadischarge-valve for air-compressors, the combination with avalve-seat, of a Valve cooperating therewith, upstanding lugs carried bythe valve-seat, a spring for holding said valve to its seat, and meanshaving a surface for supporting the valve in its open position andprovided with openings above the supporting-surface in communicationwith discharge-passages; substantially as described.

IOO

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7. In adischarge-valve for air-compressors, the combinationwithaseat-valve, ofaflat disk valve cooperating therewith, spacedguidinglugs for guiding said valve in its movement, a spring for holdingsaid valve to its seat, and a cylinder-head having a recess forreceiving said spring and provided with a surface for supporting thevalve in its open position and having openings above thesupporting-surface communicating with the discharge-passage;substantially as described.

8. In asuction-valve for air-compressors, the combination with avalve-seat having a hub portion, an annular boss on said hub portionforming an inner part to the valve-seat, a flat disk valve cooperatingwith said seat, a spring for holding said valve to its seat, and ahousing-support for said spring; substantially as described.

9. ln a valve for aircornpressors,'the combination with a hollowcylinder-head, of a valve-seat secured in the inner wall of saidcylinder-head, guiding-lugs arranged on said valve-seat, a fiat diskvalve supported at its center and marginal edges by said valve-seat andguided in its movement by said lugs., and

a spring seated inareeessinl the outer wall of the hollow cylinder-head.the end 'faces of the walls around said recess forming a support for thevalve in its open position@ substantially as described.

10. Inavalvefor air-compressors, the combination` with a hollowcylinder-head, of a valve-seat in its inner wall, guiding-lugs arrangedon said valve-seat, a flat disk valve supported at its center andmarginal edges by saidvalve-seat and guided in its movement by saidlugs, a recess in the outer wall of the cylinder-head, openings in thewall of said recess communicating with the dischargechamber, the ends ofsaid wall forming a limiting-stop for the valve, and a spring seated insaid recess for holdingsaid valve to its seat; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereofl I hereunto aliiX my signature, in the presence oftwo witnesses, this 26th day of October, 1903.

EDWIN H. STEEDMAN.

Witnesses:

F. R. CORNWALL, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

